Rein-support.



Patented Dec. 30, I902. W w. s. NEAL.

REIN SUPPORT.

(Application filed. June 9, 1902.)

(No Model.)

UNTTnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM SHAEFFER NEAL, OF BREWTON, ALABAMA.

RElN- S UPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 716,925, dated December 30, 1902.

Application filed June 9, 1902. Serial No. 110,825. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concerm Be it known that 1. WILLIAM SHAEFFER NEAL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brewton, in the county of Escambia and State of Alabama, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rein Supports, of which the following is a specification.

The rein support herein described adds greatly to the comfort and safety of driving, as it prevents the reins from getting beneath the tail of the animal driven and does away with the necessity of constantly holding the reins up, as the weight of the reins when passed over the support will keep them taut, and the driver is at liberty to rest his hands upon his lap. It is also vertically adjustable. I am aware that there are other designs of rein-supports which accomplish these ends; but the support embodied in my invention has the peculiar advantages of simplicity and cheapness of construction combined with great strength.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents the rein-support complete. Fig. 2 illustrates the manner of attaching the reinsupport to the cross-bar and singletree of a buggy or one-horse vehicle. Fig. 3 illustrates the manner of attaching the rein-support to the tongue of a wagon or two-horse vehicle.

The rein-support consists of the following parts:

A is a straight metal rod having near its upper extremity and at right angles with itself the cross-piece c. This cross-piece is bent upwardly at its extremities, forming the guards d (1. These guards curve inwardly and may be finished in an ornamental manner. Their object is to prevent the reins from slipping from the cross-piece, upon which they are intended to rest. The rod A projects slightly beyond this cross-piece c, forming the projectionp, which is intended to prevent the right and left rein from crossing or becoming entangled with each other. The lower end of the rod A is screw-threaded for the purpose hereinafterset forth.

B is a metal clamp of sufficient size to embrace the cross-bar and singletree of a onehorse vehicle or the tongue of a two-horse vehiclef This clamp is composed of two flat metal plates m and n. The upper platemhas at right angles to and integral with itself the downwardly-extending arm 0, which is round and screw-threaded at its extremity. This screw-threaded end of the arm 0 is intended to pass through the perforation r in the lower platen, where it is held in place by the nut Z. The plates on and n are correspondingly perforated at points 6 e,ff', and g g. The perforation g in plate n is screw-threaded and of proper size to receive the screw-threaded end of the rod A. The perforations e e are about midway of the length of the plates on and n. The perforationsff are between the perforations e e and the outer extremites of the plates, and the perforations g g are very near these outer extremities, as illustrated in the drawings.

When the rein-support is to be applied to a one-horse vehicle, the pin or bolt which ordinarily holds the cross-bar and singletree together is removed and the clamp B is slipped over them in such a position that the perforations e e in the clamp will register with the perforations in the singleetree and cross-bar. The bolt t' is then passed through the perforations in the clamp and the corresponding perforations in the cross-bar and singletree and secured in position by means of the nut 70. The screw-threaded end of the rod A is then passed through the perforation g and the screw-threaded perforation g in the clamp B and held in the desired position by means of the thumb-nuts h h, which bear against the lower faces of the plates m and n. (See Fig. 2.)

When the rein-support is to be applied to a two-horse vehicle, the clamp B is slipped around the tongue either just in front of or just behind the doubletree. The bolt i is then passed through the perforations ff in the clamp, which are located at such a distance from the arm 0 that the tongue will be embraced in the space between the bolt '5 and the arm 0. The bolt t' is then secured in po sition and the rod A attached, as above set forth. (See Fig. 3.) If preferred, the reinsupport may be attached to the single and double trees of a two-horse vehiclein the same manner as it is attached to the cross-bar and singletree of acne-horse vehicle.

In driving the reins are passed over the cross-piece c and are thus held in a convenient and safe position and in such a manner that they cannot become tangled or get beneath the horses tail.

By loosening the thumb-nuts h h and turning the rod A to the right or left it may by means of its screw-threads be raised or lowered and so vertically adjusted to the height of the animal driven.

When the rein-support is not in use, the

for attaching the clamp to a vehicle independent of the relation between the clamp and the rein-supporting rod.

2. In a rein-support, a clamp comprising parallel plates. and a connecting-arm, said plates each having two like perforations correspondingly disposed and means for clam ping said plates, by means of which said clamp is adapted to engage the cross-bar and singletree of a one-horse vehicle, or the tongue of a two-horse vehicle, substantially as herein described and for the purpose specified.

3. A vertically adjustable rein support, consisting of a rod A having at its upper extremity, and at right angles to itself, the

cross-piece c, and having screw-threads at its lower extremity carrying the thumb-nuts h h, a clamp B formed of correspondinglyperforated plates m and n and a downwardlyextending arm 0, a bolt 11 and the nuts k and Z, substantially as herein described and for the purpose specified.

4. In a rein-support, the combination with a screw-threaded rein-supporting rod A, carrying at its lower extremity the thumb-nuts h h, of the clamp-plates m and n having the corresponding perforations e e, ff and .the perforations g g, and connected by the downwardly-extending arm 0, together with the removable bolt iand the nuts in and Z, substantially as herein described and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM SHAEFFER NEAL.

Witnesses:'

ANNA SLAUGHTER, GEORGE FOSTER. 

